Chatbots and Relationships

Hype Statement

It is often asserted that AI is nearing or at the level of human connection/intelligence, and that it will eventually surpass/replace human relationships.

Examples of "The Hype"

News Headlines (Media)

News headlines uses sensational language to hype up AI companions.

Link & Read more...

The news uses sensational language to hype up AI companions. This headline asks the question "Are AI Lovers replacing humans?" which implies that the process is already happening and AI lovers are already beginning to replace humans. This perpetuates the hype that AIs are better than humans and as a result are already replacing them.

This headline also gives the mis-leading statistic that "a third of gen Z singles use tech as a 'romantic companion'," which makes the hype seem more valid.

Another Example of AI Hype in the Headlines:

“It’s been a norm for a while for Replika users to ‘marry’ their AI companion in virtual weddings to which they invite friends and colleagues. That shows how pervasive and enormous and prevalent this topic is. It’s no longer a fringe or side issue. It is truly sweeping society in an unprecedented way.”

--> implies that it is already the norm that everyone already has an AI companion

--> implies that AI companions are already replacing humans for connection

https://theweek.com/tech/ai-lovers-replacing-humans

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2026/01-02/trends-digital-ai-relationships-emotional-connection?utm_

Friend.com (Advertising)

Friend.com, a wearable AI pendant, advertises itself as "digital conscience for when humans get boring." They are deliberately comparing their AI Chatbot product to humans in terms of emotional connection and fulfillment. Some advertising language includes:

"I'll never bail on our dinner plans"

"I'll binge the whole series with you"

"I'll never leave dirty dishes in the sink"

Link & Read more...

Friend is an AI pendant necklace that promises to not only replace human friends but to be better than human friends for just $129. Advertising uses emotive language like "I'll never bail on our dinner plans" implying that human friends will bail on plans and be disappointing but AI won't. Other advertising phrases from friend pendant are "I'll binge the whole series with you" and "I'll never leave dirty dishes in the sink." The website, friend.com proudly features the slogan "digital conscience for when humans get boring."

Her (Film)

Science Fiction films tries to subtly tell us that humans can easily fall in love with AI.

Link & Read more...

Her (2014) tells the story of a recently-divorced man who falls in love with his AI Assistant System. It perpetuates the hype by subtly telling us that AI can make us less lonely and that it is easy to fall in love with AI. Other notable films that perpetuate this hype are Ex Machina (2014) and Companion (2025).

Wysa (Finance)

AI Mental Health Company that emphasizes lower cost, faster return-to-work, and scaled support

Link & Read more...

WYSA is an AI mental health company which has shifted from an individual consumer app to a larger tool that is directly embedded into existing health care systems.
They market directly to employers, insurers, providers, and health care organizations by emphasizing lower costs, faster return-to-work, and scaled support.
WYSA gained significant investments in the last 5 years, most of which is funded into scaling their operation and breaking into new markets.
- - - - In 2026, they received a grant of $5 Million to do research in India and penetrate into their health care systems.

Buisness Wire https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250313775451/en/Wysa-and-April-Health-Merge-to-Revolutionize-Access-to-Behavioral-Health-Care-Through-Primary-Care-Providers

"Revolutionize Access"

"By integrating Wysa’s AI, every patient referred to us receives ongoing care—whether through a behavioral health specialist, a psychiatrist, or AI-powered guidance tailored to their needs. "

"Wysa’s Therapeutic AI Coach is trusted by healthcare providers, employers, and insurers worldwide to enhance access to high-quality behavioral health care. "

JMIR Publications https://formative.jmir.org/2024/1/e51858

"Based on the present findings, Wysa appears to strongly engage those with none to moderate symptoms of anxiety."

"Altogether, the present service evaluation shows promising evidence to endorse the implementation of digital mental health interventions as standard practice, as the high repeat-use rates for Wysa’s interventions corroborate with the strong positive feedback and user engagement rates. "

BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdwpjfr

"'The app might help you recognise critical thoughts and turn them into self-compassion.' - Anya "

Practice Decoding the Hype: Friend.com

The Message and the Context:

What is being claimed?

Overall claim: friend.com pendant can function as a superior alternative to human relationships. This is encapsulated in phrases such as “digital conscience for when humans get boring,” which position the product as not only comparable to -- but actually preferable over -- human companionship.

This claim implies that AI friends are more dependable than human friends → “I’ll never bail on our dinner plans” / “I’ll binge the whole series with you.”

It also implies that AI friends will not be annoying the way humans are → “I’ll never leave dirty dishes in the sink.”

What is extreme about it?

These claims are exaggerated in that they present the technology as capable of fully replacing human relationships, a capacity that current AI systems do not possess. User reports indicate that responses can be awkward, impersonal, or even perceived as inappropriate or “mean.” Currently, it seems that friend.com pendants cannot even mimic humans, much less replace human relationships.

Who is saying it?

These claims are primarily advanced by the company through their advertisements. Avi Schiffman, who founded friend.com at 22, has been particularly vocal about friend.com pendants calling it “the world’s first living electronics.” Before negative backlash from the public, several traditional media platforms, such as Elle, GeekWire, FoxNews, and Forbes, reported positively on the product.

Who is the target audience?

People who struggle with making friends

Young people curious about AI technology

Impacts, Benefits and Harms:

How does the source benefit from the model/claim(s)?

By perpetuating the hype, they are able to gain attention and investment. Friend.com founder, Avi Schiffmann, received close to $8 million in investment.

Who else benefits?

Journalists may benefit from writing hype articles as these articles are more likely to gain traction and thereby advance their authors' careers.

Who is potentially harmed by it?

Users who may be relying on these technologies for their emotional support may receive short-term relief, while neglecting their human relationships. Users are also likely to be disappointed by the product. Wearing the product out in public might make social interaction more difficult, as others may be wary of the product.

Accuracy and Support

Does evidence support the claim(s) at present?

There is no evidence to support the idea that friend.com pendants are able to mimic human relationships or provide the same comfort as humans.

Does anyone corroborate the claim(s)?

User reviews actually describe pendants as the opposite of how they are advertised. One writes that “it’s like wearing your senile, anxious grandmother around your neck.” Other users reflect that wearing the device makes others “uneasy” around them, which makes social interaction more difficult.

What is the reliability, expertise, or credentials of people making the claim(s)?

Advertisements for friend.com pendants provide little to no verifiable evidence to substantiate their claims and are produced by a company with a clear financial incentive to present the product in a favorable light. In contrast, user reviews are generated by individuals who have direct experience with the product. While these reviewers typically lack formal expertise and may offer subjective perspectives, they are likely not financially incentivized to promote the product, which makes them much more reliable than advertisements.

What incentives do supporters or platforms of the claim(s) have?

Financial gain from their products being purchased + attention on their company and any future products

Result: The Alternative to the Hype

Messaging and Context ➡️ friend.com makes extreme and exaggerated claims about their products.

Impacts, Benefits, and Harms ➡️ These claims are made to benefit their company financially and often come at the harm of their users who are likely dissapointed and further socially isolated.

Accuracy and Support ➡️ There is little evidence to support advertisement claims from friend.com. User reviews often directly contradict advertising claims.

Hype: AI chatbot relationships will replace human relationships

Alternative: AI chatbots may serve to facilitate or aid human connection and relationships, but do not have the ability to fully replace human-human relationships.

Authors:

Elyas Berger, Mengyuan (Zara) Zhang, Yanfan (Apple) Ma, Xavier Baptiste, Gabi Shu

Works Cited

Aghion, P. (1992). A model of growth through creative destruction. MIT Economics. Jstor. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2951599?seq=1
AI Certs. (2025, November). Conversational AI psychology: Why chatbots agree 50% more than humans. https://www.aicerts.ai/news/conversational-ai-psychology-why-chatbots-agree-50-more-than-humans/
American Psychological Association. (2025, November). Nation suffering division, loneliness. https://www.aicerts.ai/news/conversational-ai-psychology-why-chatbots-agree-50-more-than-humans/
American Psychological Association. (2026, January 1). AI chatbots and digital companions are reshaping emotional connection. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2026/01-02/trends-digital-ai-relationships-emotional-connection
Boucher, E. M., Harake, N. R., Ward, H. E., Stoeckl, S. E., Vargas, J., Muench, F., ... & Parks, A. C. (2021). Artificially intelligent chatbots in digital mental health interventions: A review. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 18(12), 1191-1208. https://doi.org/10.1080/17434440.2021.2013208
D'Alfonso, S., Santesteban-Echarri, O., Rice, S. Wadley, G., Lederman, R., Miles, C., ... & Alvares-Jimenez, M. (2024). It happened to be the perfect thing: Experiences of generative AI chatbots for mental health. Complementary Therapists in Medicine, 82, 103039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2024.103039
Demand Sage. (2026, Feburary). Character AI statistics. https://www.demandsage.com/character-ai-statistics/
Friend. (2026). Friend.com.
He, Y., Yang, L., Chen, Y., & Zhang, L. (2025, November 26). Effectiveness of AI chatbots in alleviating mental distress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e79850
KFF. (2024, May 23). Racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care: Findings from the KFF survey of racism, discrimination and health. https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-mental-health-care/
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2025, November 26). Shortcoming makes LLMs less reliable. MIT News. https://news.mit.edu/2025/shortcoming-makes-llms-less-reliable-1126
Master of Code Global. (2025, August 15). Chatbot statistics: How AI is powering the rise of digital assistants. https://masterofcode.com/blog/chatbot-statistics
Mathis, J. (2025, July 23). Are AI lovers replacing humans? The Week. https://theweek.com/tech/ai-lovers-replacing-humans
Medium. (2026, January 27). Is it surprising AI is replacing real-life friendship and love when we are all so lonely? https://medium.com/ai-ai-oh/is-it-surprising-ai-is-replacing-real-life-friendship-and-love-when-we-are-all-so-lonely-81fd107826bb

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